Matt Redman - The Friendship And The Fear

Sunday 1st June 1997
Matt Redman - The Friendship And The Fear
Matt Redman - The Friendship And The Fear

STYLE: Pop
RATING 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 7306-7079
LABEL: Survivor SURCD001
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RELEASE DATE: 1997-01-17
RRP: £6.85

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This review is well late - 'The Friendship And The Fear' has been the best selling Christian music album in Britain for weeks - but that won't stop your favourite mag from waxing lyrical. As the one review I've read of this talked about how Matt "moves away from an indie guitar sound to the slow burning jazz of several tracks and gentle guitar and keyboards of others", I can only assume the reviewer kept slipping out for coffee every time the frequent bursts of grunge guitar came ringing from his stereo and as for the burning jazz...well, there's a distinct R&B groove on "Deep Calls To Deep" and a fluid alto sax on "I Need To Get The Fire Back". The reason for the confused pigeon holing is that Malt's style is gloriously elusive, he sings stripped down ballads like "The Way Of The Cross" with his husky phrasing again recalling Martin Smith, catchy pop hook opuses like "Bowing Down" and launches into a turbulent rhythmic rocker like "Can We Walk Upon The Water". Themes of the songs are often about a hunger for holiness and "Pure Pure Heart",. "Show Me The Way Of The Cross" and the magnificent, moody worship ballad "Once Again" (currently the most played track on UCB Cross Rhythms) all convey that hunger with breathtaking vulnerability. Throughout the production for the album by studio veteran Andy Piercy is magnificent. Matt Redman and Delirious? are doing much more than taking the worship music mantle from the Kendrick and Bowater wrinklies. They are calling a whole generation to live in the expectation of imminent revival.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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Sample Track Listing:
6. Knocking On The Door Of Heaven [Listen]
7. Once Again [Listen]
8. Can I Ascend? [Listen]
9. Can We Walk Upon The Water? [Listen]

This track data is supplied by the Cross Rhythms CD/DVD review library. Please note that CD tracks may vary according to release region or product version.

Reader Comments

Posted by Richwell Bethel in Nigeria @ 03:29 on Feb 23 2022

What a lovely thing you guys are involde here. I fell in love with Matt Redman for the lyrics of his songs especially "the friendship and the fear". Every of Hus track on this album are soul driven, emacipating, elevating, reviving etc. I lost all these tracks but have been striving to get them nack. Want you to help me get them me again.



The opinions expressed in the Reader Comments are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms.

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